1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for enhancing red blood cell quality and survival during storage.
2. Background of the Art
Anaerobic storage of red blood cells has been shown to enhance the metabolic status of red blood cells (RBC) and an increase in the potential storage time can be achieved using a variety of additive solutions. When combining an alkaline additive solution with anaerobic storage, it was observed that storage under anaerobic conditions yields insignificant benefits in terms of ATP levels. However, when the RBC additive pH was lowered from 8.1 to 6.5, significant improvement in metabolic parameters were observed under anaerobic conditions. While it has been suggested that overalkalinization of RBCs in alkaline additive solution results in increased intracellular pH due to CO2 removed during oxygen depletion, the direct effects of CO2 depletion on RBC quality and storage have not been demonstrated.